


Reincarnation sucks

by BloodyKitsune1997



Series: Magi x Fem!Harry pairings [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Feels, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Might have smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Two-Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 15:21:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16746514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyKitsune1997/pseuds/BloodyKitsune1997
Summary: Reincarnation. One of the most argued about subjects in the world. To most, it was a fairy-tail that people dreamed of experiencing. To a select few, it was both wonderful and horrible if they remembered it. To even fewer, it was a tiring, but worth it experience as it allowed them to be reunited with their other half. To Aster Potter, it was something she both enjoyed and dreaded mostly due to one specific man that the fates declared her other half. He never remembered until it was far too late for them to experience the joys they once had. Unlike him, she was always reborn looking exactly the same and carrying the same first name with her memories returning upon a near death experience that occurs every time she turned five.Full Summary in first chapter





	Reincarnation sucks

Reincarnation. One of the most argued about subjects in the world. To most, it was a fairy-tail that people dreamed of experiencing. To a select few, it was both wonderful and horrible if they remembered it. To even fewer, it was a tiring, but worth it experience as it allowed them to be reunited with their other half. To Aster Potter, it was something she both enjoyed and dreaded mostly due to one specific man that the fates declared her other half. He never remembered until it was far too late for them to experience the joys they once had. Unlike him, she was always reborn looking exactly the same and carrying the same first name with her memories returning upon a near death experience that occurs every time she turned five.

Aster Potter hated him almost as much as she loved him and did her best to never come near him during their lifetimes because it would hurt less when it ended. He always managed to find her and get her to fall for him. In some of their lives, they ended up marrying and spending a few sweet years together. They were the worst of the batch no matter how many good memories they spawned because he always died not long after remembering. No matter what she did, he died whether by accident or murder. They were a cursed pair and yet like the sun's gravitation pull on the planets, they always came together. But the worst part of it all, she always ended up falling in love with him again and again no matter how hard she'd tried not.

It began during the first life they shared back when she'd been Aster Potter and he, Iskandar Dragos. They had met during her fourth year when he came to Hogwarts with his fellow students from Durmstrang alongside Beauxbatons' students to participate in the Tri-wizard tournament. It had been chance that saw them meeting when she'd been trying to get away from Hermione and Ron's arguments. From there, they kept on meeting until eventually a friendship was struck which deepened into more as time went on. It had been three years after the battle of Hogwarts when one of her many fan-boys who'd sought to marry her many times, cast the spell that would start this horrific sequence of events just as she not long before she was going to give birth to their first child. The man had been aiming for her, but Iskandar had jumped in front of the curse to shield her and their unborn child. He died within her arms moments after the man was taken down.

In all the times they'd been reborn, Aster had struggled to find someway to end the cycle and keep her other half from dying. And so far, she'd failed each and every time without fail no matter how hard she tried.

* * *

"Please no," Aster whispered as she raced through the crowd surrounding the execution platform feeling her lungs and legs ache with each step, "Oh, Solomon, no," She pushed to the front of the crowd shouting, "KOUEN!"

"Someone grab her!" Hakuryuu ordered as she raced towards the execution platform, "Grab Aster!"

Aster struggled as hands grabbed her arms and waist, "NO! KOUEN!"

The burning feeling of her magic pulsing in her veins as it struggled to do as she wished and the freezing cold of the magic cancelling bracelets wrapped around her wrists kept her from using any of her knowledge to save him. Tearful emerald green clashed with sorrowful crimson red filled with regret and remembrance, Aster nearly collapsed as Kouen mouthed, 'I'm sorry, Az'.

The sound that left Aster as Kouen was beheaded right before her eyes was that of a beast rather than a human. He'd finally remembered once more only to be taken from her again. She collapsed as all the fight left her as she whispered, "Kouen."

* * *

"Has she even moved since I had her placed in here?" The voice of Hakuryuu reached her ears from the doorway.

"Not unless someone makes her move," The voice of a maid murmured, "My Lord, I don't think she'll make it through the birth,"

Dull and lifeless emerald green eyes stared out of the window, Aster placed a hand on her distended stomach feeling a foot kick and tears filled her eyes. No, she wouldn't be able to see this child grow up. The grief was too strong and her magic was growing weaker with each day. It was just luck that she hadn't miscarried from the stress and shock caused by seeing Kouen killed. The least she would be able to do was ensure the only thing she had left of Kouen outside of the phoenix pendant necklace around her neck would survive the birth. After 299 lives, Aster could no longer bring herself to survive the years it would take for their newest child to grow. A tear ran down her cheek as she laid her head against the window and whispered, "I'm sorry, Kouen. I'm sorry I am too weak."

Exhaustion took her over soon after and she fell into a restless slumber filled with memories.

* * *

_Aster walked around a corner heading to a hopefully empty part of the school where she could get rid of the headache caused by the latest argument between her best friends when she bumped into someone earning a curse followed by the sound of books hitting the ground. She quickly bent down to pick up the dropped books, "Sorry!"_

_"It's fine," The one she'd bumped into waved off her apology, "I should've been watching where I was going,"_

_"Same," Aster lifted up the books she'd gathered and looked up causing emerald green to clash with crimson red._

_The boy, no man, was tall and very well built. He was fair skinned with the beginnings of a beard forming on his face and narrowed crimson eyes. Long crimson red hair, actual red not the Weasley ginger, was tied in a rather messy looking pony-tail. A smile formed on his lips, "It's quite alright since a beautiful lady such as yourself was the one to bump into me."_

_Aster flushed a bit at being called that, "And if I'd been a boy?"_

_"Still pretty enough that I wouldn't have minded too much," The man chuckled as he took his books back and added them to the already floating stack beside him, "I'll forgive you if you'd tell me your name,"_

_"Aster Potter," Aster said and was surprised to see no hint of the wide-eyed awe that she normally got when giving someone her name._

_"Iskandar Dragos," The man introduced himself, "It's a pleasure to meet you despite the fact we bumped into one another,"_

_"Yeah," Aster shook off her surprise, "Tell me, Mr. Dragos, what you're doing around here? As far as I'm aware, this part of the school is usually empty around this time of day,"_

_Iskandar looked around them and seemed to notice the lack in people, "Huh, I never really noticed. I've been so enthralled by the veritable trove of history that I seem to have wandered off."_

_"You like history?" Aster hadn't heard of anyone actually liking the subject._

_Iskandar nodded as he waved a hand around them, "I love it actually. My Father is an Mundane Archaeologist and my Mother a magical one. I spent much of my childhood surrounded by history and grew to love it," He smiled lightly, "Your school has quite a bit of history and I hope to be able to discover it while we're here. I got to Drumstrangs."_

_"Have you read Hogwarts: A History?" Aster asked him, "And would you like me to lead you back to more populated areas?"_

_"No to the first and yes to the second," Iskandar replied and she began leading him back the way she'd come, "They do not sell it in my country and we couldn't stop to buy anything on the way here,"_

_"I have a copy if you'd like to borrow it," Aster offered as they walked through the halls, "I've read it a few times before and while it can be a bit dry, it's a really good book once you get down to it,"_

_"If you wouldn't mind," Iskandar grinned as the sound of people walking and talking reached their ears._

_"How about we meet up by the doors at lunch tomorrow and I'll give it to you then?" Aster offered as they reached the hallway._

_Iskandar nodded as they stopped, "That would be perfect, thank you."_

_"No problem," Aster turned on her heel and began walking back down the hallways, "See you tomorrow, Mr. Dragos,"_

_"You as well, Miss Potter," Iskandar replied as she walked off._

* * *

_"What did the lake ever do to you?" Aster paused in the middle of throwing another stone into the lake as she heard that._

_"The stupid Ball," Aster threw the stone and bent down to pick up another one._

_"Ah," Iskandar walked to stand beside her looking amused, "Let me guess, you're being badgered to go with various people in an attempt to get into your pants?"_

_Aster growled softly, "Yes and it isn't fucking funny!" She glared at him as he chuckled, "It fucking sucks especially when they're the ones that decided that I was a liar and a cheat because someone decided to enter me against my will."_

_Iskandar grabbed her wrist before she could throw the rock she'd picked up, "Then how about we solve both our problems?" Aster frowned at him in confusion, "You take me as your date thus being able to refuse everyone else without having to lie or end up having to take some idiot last minute. By going as your date, I don't have to go searching for someone I can stand. If that isn't enough, you know I'm not trying to get into your pants."_

_Aster thought about it carefully before saying, "Alright, we'll go to the Ball as friends._

* * *

" _Aster," Aster flinched slightly at the sound of Iskandar's voice while wondering how he'd known she was there, "I'm not going to ask you to talk about what happened or tell you that everything is going to be okay. Just let me sit here with you, okay? If you want to say anything, you can, but I don't think you should be alone right now,"_

_Iskandar settled down beside her on the ledge and said nothing else even as night began to fall. Slowly, she started to lay her head on his shoulder and relax against him. An arm wrapped around her shoulders. Tears filled her eyes and she pressed her face into his neck, she began sobbing as the numbness she had worked hard to create fell away. Iskandar just held her to him and offered comfort without any words. Words were cheap, actions couldn't be taken back._

_When Aster woke up after crying herself to sleep, she found herself curled up against Iskandar with the Romanian man gently shaking her awake. She sniffed softly, "S-sorry."_

_"It's fine," Iskandar eyed her, "How are you physically feeling?"_

_"Tired and sore," Aster rubbed at her eyes, "And hungry,"_

_"Let's go get something to eat," Iskandar stood up before offering his hand to her, "After that, we can just sit together again if you want to,"_

_"I'd like that," Aster did want to be alone, but she also didn't really want to talk about what happened right now, "Thank you, for everything,"_

_Iskandar smiled at her as she took his hand, "It's what friends are supposed to do."_

_"I've never had a friend like you before," Aster admitted as they left the tower she'd run to after Madam Pomfrey released her from the Infirmary._

_"Well, now you do," Iskandar replied making Aster smile a bit._

_The smile disappeared as Aster remembered, "The other schools are leaving tomorrow...this will be the last time we see one another."_

_"Not really since I'm moving to England. My Grandfather on my mother's side is paying for me to go to muggle college in London while I intern at the museum he works at," Iskandar replied with a smirk._

_"Seriously?" Aster asked with wide eyes and he nodded, "But Voldemort..."_

_"Is likely going to go underground in order to regain his strength and his followers," Iskandar said causing her to stumble, "Given what I've seen and heard, the English Ministry will deny his existence until they're forced to acknowledge that he is indeed back. If he's intelligent, he'll do what I think he's going to do,"_

_"So you're saying that you're not going to worry about him?" Aster admitted that Iskandar's idea was very likely._

_"No, I'm going to go about my life while also preparing for the worst," Iskandar opened the door and they walked out of the tower, "I'm also going to be helping you do the same,"_

_Aster froze mid-step, "What?"_

_"Because we're friends and I know he's likely going to come after you again no matter what," Iskandar said as he stopped, "And I'm not going to abandon you just because some big trouble if after you. My parents taught me to keep my friends as safe as possible meaning that I'm going to help you survive what's to come,"_

_"But why?" Aster asked him, "Why would you willingly put yourself in danger for me of all people? You didn't even know me until that day I bumped into you back in October,"_

_"Because you're my friend and I don't want you to be alone," Iskandar looked at her with a stern frown, "I'll be helping whether you like it or not,"_

_Aster opened her mouth to protest only to close it when she saw the way he looked at her and knew without a doubt that he'd be keeping his word. She shook her head slightly, "But you'll get hurt and might die? I'm not...I'm not worth it."_

_"Bullshit," Iskandar frowned at her, "You're more than worth it. Not because you're the 'Girl-Who-Lived', you're worth it because you're Aster Potter and a good person. Any attempts to get rid of me will be met with failure. Now," He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway, "Let's go eat something and spend as much time together as we can before my school leaves,"_

_Aster's heart beat a bit faster and she looked down at Iskandar's hand which was warm in hers as she murmured, "Nothing I can say will stop you, will it?"_

_"What do you think, Az?" Iskandar smirked at her._

_Aster shook her head softly, "You're impossible."_

_"So are you," Iskandar laughed as they headed to the Great Hall._

* * *

_"What on earth are you doing here?" Aster demanded as she stood up from the weeds she was pulling._

_"Seeing my friend and taking you out for a day of fun," Iskandar gestured to the expensive looking car that he'd pulled up in._

_"I-" Aster looked at him in shock only to flinch when she heard her aunt shout._

_"GIRL!" Aster's head shot towards the door as it opened and Petunia walked out, "What are you doing?!"_

_Aster opened her mouth to speak when Iskandar spoke, "She is leaving with me for the day. You must be her aunt Petunia. She's told me quite a bit about you," Iskandar's eyes narrowed as he smirked radiating danger, "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a date."_

_Iskandar grabbed her hand and tugged her to the car. It was only after they'd driven away that Aster managed to come out of her shock, "This could be considered kidnapping."_

_"Perhaps, but you aren't protesting," Iskandar smiled at her, "Now, I promised a day of fun and I'm going to deliver. Where do you want to go today?"_

_Aster shook her head in amusement, "I've never really done anything in London before, so I can't really tell you about anything fun to do."_

_"Then we'll wander around for the day and find fun stuff to do," Iskandar replied as he drove them to London._

_Aster looked around the car, "Where on earth did you get this car?"_

_"Grandfather is letting me borrow it for the day provided that I bring you to dinner with me," Iskandar said causing her to jolt a bit and look at him in surprise._

_"Why?" Aster knew from past conversations with the red head beside her that his grandfather tended to avoid dealing with people after his wife's death._

_Iskandar switched to another lane as he said, "He wants to me one of the only women I can actually care for outside my family despite us not being together. Since it will just let us spend more time together and mean that you won't have to return to the house you hate, I figured it would be a good idea._ _"_

_Iskandar flashed her a smile as they stopped at a red light. Aster found herself smiling in return as she said, "Thanks for this then, it's definitely better than being stuck in that hot house."_

_"No problem," Iskandar looked back at the road as they returned to flying down the road._

* * *

_Johnathon Dragos was an imposing man despite his old age. He had graying red hair almost the same shade as Iskandar's if a bit darker and eyes the color of rust. He had a permanent tan and a strong jaw. Aster could see where Iskandar got his height and the shape of his eyes as the aged man walked down the grand staircase of the manor house that her friend called home. Johnathon's lips pulled back into a slight smile as he finished eyeing her, "Miss Potter, I am Johnathon Dragos. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."_

_"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, sir," Aster replied as Johnathon offered his hand and she took it, "Iskandar has told me a lot about you and the rest of your family,"_

_Johnathon lifted her hand up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles before letting go, "Good things, I hope."_

_"Shall we go eat dinner?" Iskandar asked as the door closed behind them, "I'm starving,"_

_Johnathon snorted softly, "Always thinking with your stomach, Grandson?"_

_"Not always, we've just been running around all day," Iskandar defended himself._

_Johnathon shook his head before smiling at Aster, "Let's go eat so we can get to know one another, Miss Potter."_

* * *

_Aster glared at Dudley as he mocked her, "Turning into a slut like your whore mother, Pot-"_

_Rage burned through her veins at those words, the tip of Aster's wand was pressed into Dudley's neck before he could finish his sentence. She glared at him as she hissed, "Keep talking about my mother and I'll take the very thing that makes you a man."_

_Dudley turned white as a ghost as one of his friends laughed, "What's a stick going to do?"_

_"Nothing, but I'm going to kick your pathetic asses if you don't get away from her," Iskandar's voice was cold as ice and just as forgiving._

_Aster didn't bother to look away from Dudley as she watched him pale even further. She hissed, "Go back to that fucking hell hole and tell your parents that I'm leaving for good."_

_Dudley swallowed heavily, "Y-yeah."_

_Aster released him and watched the baby whale rush off. She lowered her wand as Iskandar asked, "What exactly happened?"_

_"He called my mother a whore and me a slut," Aster answered not feeling the least surprised that Dudley would say something like that, "Probably parroting what his parents have been saying," She looked at Iskandar and saw his furious expression, "Don't bother going after any of them, they've been like this for years. I need to go back and grab my things. I'll need to get a ro-"_

_"You're coming home with me," Iskandar cut her off earning a shocked look, "You're not going to get a room at the Leaky Cauldron where some idiot can kidnap you. My place has proper wards and a decent library for you to work with,"_

_Aster would have protested, but she was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, "Alright."_

_Iskandar led her to his car and they headed to Number Four. She got out and headed inside with the red head following her. Petunia stormed out of the living room with fury written across her face only to stop short as Iskandar spoke, "Az, go get your things, I'm going to have a talk with your aunt."_

_Aster hesitated for a moment before deciding to leave the horse with the dragon that was her friend. She headed up the stairs and quickly unlocked Hedwig's cage before opening the window, "Go for a hunt then come find me."_

_Hedwig nipped her fingers affectionately before flying off. Aster packed up her clothes and the things she'd managed to sneak from the cupboard under the stairs before heading downstairs. Iskandar stood by the front door holding her trunk, "Ready to go?"_

_"Yes. I sent Hedwig off to hunt and she'll find me after she's fed," Aster answered earning a nod._

_Iskandar opened the door and they walked out only for her to pause at the sight of an unconscious man laying on the ground. She looked at Iskandar and he said, "He's one of Dumbledore's men. I thought it would be a good idea to knock him unconscious before he could alert the old man to the fact you're leaving this place permanently," Iskandar started walking and Aster quickly followed him, "Besides, it'll make everyone wonder why those animals have an unconscious man on their lawn."_

_They loaded her life into the trunk of his car before leaving Private Drive for what would hopefully be the last time. Aster spoke once they'd left her old street behind, "Thank you, Isk."_

_Iskandar reached over to wrap his arm around her shoulders, "It's nothing, Az."_

_Aster flushed a bit, but didn't shake off his arm as her heart beat just a little bit quicker._

* * *

_"So they're dead?" Aster stared at the Daily Profit which had her relatives' deaths via 'rogue' dementors painted across the front page._

_Aster felt numb as she let it fall from her hand. Iskandar nodded as he said, "Basically, they're nothing more than soulless husks now."_

_Swallowing harshly, Aster looked up at him, "Despite the fact they were crappy people that used me as a scapegoat just because I have magic and thought they could treat me as a house elf, I...I didn't want them dead. Punished for their treatment of me via jail time or something like that, yes, but not dead," Why was her vision turning blurry, "T-they were the only blood family I have left that's actually closely related to me, but now they're gone. I'm...alone..."_

_Aster was pulled into Iskandar's lap and he held her against him, "You're not alone, Az. Never alone."_

_A sob tore itself from her throat and she burrowed her face into Iskandar's neck as hot tears ran down her cheeks. Iskandar held her close as his head settled on top of hers._

* * *

_Staring at Hermione in shock, Aster had to run over Hermione's words again, "You want me to go somewhere you can't tell me the name of because I'm not safe from Riddle?"_

_Hermione nodded with a frown, "Yes, Aster. You need to come where its safe. You've been worrying everyone since the adults couldn't find any trace of you at the de-"_

_"No," Aster shook her head as she stood up, "I'm not going anywhere with you,"_

_"But-" Hermione protested as Aster began to walk away._

_"No," Aster cut her off, "I'm not going anywhere with you when I am perfectly safe with Iskandar. He has old family wards around his place that are more than enough to keep me safe," Iskandar returned from the bathroom with a raised eyebrow when he noticed her standing, "I am not leaving with someone that doesn't even try to contact me until out of the blue after one of the worst days in my life. All on the order of an old man who'd been happy to leave me to rot in a place that I hate for reasons that he won't even tell anyone,"_

_Iskandar walked up as Hermione said, "Aster, you'r-"_

_"I believe that Az has made her wishes quite clear, Miss Granger," Iskandar wrapped an arm around Aster's shoulders, "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to get going if we're going to be able to get everything ready in time to have dinner with my Grandfather,"_

_"Aster, please," Hermione said as they began to leave._

_"No, Hermione. I'm not going anywhere with you," Aster replied as they left the cafe behind, "I can't believe her. After weeks of no contact, she tracks me down and demands that I go somewhere with her because I'm apparently not safe despite Riddle not being active," She scowled darkly as they headed towards the car, "Do I really seem that gullible?"_

_"No," Iskandar shook his head, "But this tells me that Dumbledore will be sending people to bring you to wherever it is she was trying to bring you,"_

_"I'm not going," Aster growled softly, "I refuse,"_

_Iskandar pulled her closer to him, "I wouldn't have let you go anyway seeing as there's no promise that wherever she was trying to bring you is actually safe."_

* * *

_Aster looked over her supply list in confusion, "What the hell kind of book is that? Isn't that a pure theory book?"_

_Iskandar took the list from her and looked it over with a frown, "Yeah. I remember my father having me read it back when I was a child. Most of it is complete bullshit, the writer is a complete coward and a dog of the ministry."_

_Aster frowned at him, "Does that mean the Ministry is sending one of their dogs into the school?"_

_"It's very likely," Iskandar set the list down with a scowl, "It is also very likely that they'll be using whoever it is as a way to make you all loyal sheep," He looked at Aster, "You'll have to be careful this year and study hard outside of class,"_

_"Do you mind me taking extra books from the library?" Aster asked earning a nod._

_"You might want to avoid using Hedwig just in case they decide to try and limit your contact with the outside world," Iskandar gestured to the eagle owl sitting beside Hedwig while the they ate their breakfast, "We'll use Soren to contact one another and I'll have him send anything I think is useful,"_

_"Will you take care of her if the Ministry dog tries anything against her?" Aster asked as she picked up her cup of orange juice._

_"Of course," Iskandar offered her a grin, "After all, I know how important she is to you,"_

* * *

_Aster walked with Iskandar into the train station two hours before the train was bound to set off. Iskandar looked at her as she asked, "You'll be careful, right?"_

_"I should be asking you that," Iskandar smiled at her, "I'll be careful, Az. You don't have to worry about me,"_

_Aster led the way to the barrier as she said, "It'll be weird not living at your place or seeing you everyday."_

_They passed through the barrier as Iskandar agreed, "Very true, it'll take some getting used to. I known that Grandfather will miss eating your cooking."_

_"And you won't?" Aster teased as they moved off to a secluded corner to talk a bit longer._

_Iskandar snorted as she leaned against one of the walls, "Of course I will, you're a really good cook. To be honest though," Iskandar rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm really going to miss you, Az."_

_"I'm going to miss you too, Isk," Aster's cheeks flushed a bit as she looked at the train, "Will I be able to come spend Christmas with you?"_

_"Of course, you'll get to meet the rest of my family," Iskandar replied making Aster grin a bit since she hadn't spend a Christmas outside of Hogwarts since she started and she really didn't want to go almost an entire year without seeing him, "Az, can I ask you a question?"_

_"Sure," Aster looked at him curiously, "What's on your mind, Isk?"_ _Iskandar opened his mouth before shutting it with a shake of his head causing concern to fill her since he'd never done something like that before, "Something wrong, Isk?"_

_"I didn't expect it to be this hard," Iskandar groaned as more people began filling the train station._

_"What's so hard?" Aster asked with a frown._

_Iskandar looked at her with a slight flush to his face before muttering, "Fuck it."_

_Slightly chapped lips pressed into her own as a warm hand cupped her cheek, Aster's eyes widened before closing as she realized that Iskandar was kissing her. A warm feeling that she'd come to associate with Iskandar whenever he touched or complimented her formed in her chest. Before she could do anything, Iskandar pulled away causing a rush of disappointment. She opened her eyes as Iskandar flushed a bit, "Isk?"_

_"Az, I know that it might seem crazy or far too fast, but I want to be with you," Iskandar looked at her with soft eyes, "You might not want a relationship right now, but I...I want to give it a chance. Please, Az, be mine,"_

_"Isk..." Aster couldn't believe this was happening, "I..."_

_It wasn't a lie that Aster had, had thoughts about them getting together especially after the summer had started, but she hadn't thought he'd feel the same. Iskandar rubbed the back of his neck, "Az, I know that love isn't something your very familiar with, but I really think that what I feel for you is love. I-"_

_"Alright," Aster smiled at him as Iskandar stopped talking with slightly wide eyes, "I don't mind trying with you since I've been having these kinds of thoughts for a little while now," She flushed a bit, "Just be patient with me, I've never had a boyfriend or anything like that before and I'm not sure I'd be a very good girl-"_

_Aster was cut off by Iskandar pulling her into a hug with a grin on his face. He kissed her again and Aster wrapped her arms around his neck. Iskandar peppered her face with kisses once he broke the kiss, "I will do everything in my power to ensure you don't regret this."_

* * *

_Aster ran a hand through her hair as she looked over the homework assignments she'd been given, "Damn, I don't remember there being so much homework last year."_

_"Don't swear," Hermione scolded Aster as she picked up her quill, "Besides, it's our owl year which means we need to study even harder than usual if we want to-"_

_Hermione was cut off by Hedwig landing in front of Aster with a package and a letter. Aster took both before allowing the snowy owl to devour the bacon that appeared on the table. Ron spoke as Aster opened the letter, "Who sent those?"_

_"A friend," Aster answered as she saw Iskandar's hand writing._

Dear Az,

Everything is going well here at home though there is something missing without you here to help brighten up this old house. My studies are going very well and if what I've been hearing is correct, I'll be able to test out of a few classes soon enough which is fairly exciting as it will push me one step further to graduating early. The museum has gotten a new ancient Persia exhibit though it is a bit small. The information I've been learning from it is absolutely fascinating though I'll wait to explain that later on in the letter. Grandfather is doing well despite his arthritis acting up and the fact he's a bit annoyed with me since I ate the last piece of Strawberry shortcake you made.

On to the package, I've decided that I'll send you a present every week until you're coming home. It won't be anything big or extravagant since I know you don't like that kind of thing, but I will be sending you a gift regardless. For my first gift, I hope you enjoy it, Az. I thought about you when I saw it and couldn't help but get it for you.

_Aster dropped a hand on the package when Hermione went to grab it while Ron asked, "The same friend you stayed with this summer?"_

_"Yes," Aster put down the letter as she grabbed the gift, "Keep your hands off my present,"_

_"But it could be dangerous-" Hermione began only to be cut off with a glare._

_"Isk wouldn't send me anything dangerous, Hermione," Aster opened the package, "See, it isn't dangerous at all,"_

_It was a stuffed griffon plushie in Gryffindor colors. Hermione stared at the plushie in shock, "Why on earth would he send you a plushie? Aren't you getting a bit old for such things?"_

_"Considering the fact I've never gotten something like this before or really had anything like it, no," Aster picked up the really soft plush, "It's adorable,"_

* * *

_Aster was quietly making her way down the stairs towards the front door of Grimmauld place when she heard, "Going somewhere, Pup?"_

_"Sirius," Aster clutched the straps of her backpack carefully as she got ready to sprint towards the door, "I..."_

_"You're going to him, aren't you?" Sirius asked from the door to the kitchen._

_Aster didn't see the point in lying, "Yes, Sirius. I'm going to see my boyfriend."_

_"I don't think your father would really approve of you sneaking out fairly close to midnight in order to run off with a boy," Sirius commented causing Aster to stiffen slightly, "Though he would probably applaud how sneaky you're being after getting over how Slytherin it seemed,"_

_"Sirius, please I need to-" Aster began only for Sirius to cut her off._

_"Go, Pup. I won't stop you," Aster looked at him in shock as she reached the bottom step, "I won't force you to stay in this house even though it would be nice to have you here with me. The look in your eyes and the expression on your face reminds me of James when it comes to Lily. Since no one could stop him when it came to her, I know that it'll only make you hate me if I tried to stop you,"_

_"Sirius, I could never hate you," Sirius just offered her a weak grin._

_"We both know that somewhere deep inside you that you do hate me for not staying with you that night," Sirius held up a hand as Aster went to protest, "Pup, I'm going to do my best to make sure you're happy from now on. If that means letting you run off with a boy that makes you happier than I can ever remember seeing you, I'm going to let you do it,"_

_Aster opened her mouth before shutting it and shaking her head as she murmured, "Thank you, Sirius."_

_"Just stay safe, Pup," Sirius walked over and pulled her into a hug, "You're all I have left of Lily and James other than Remus. It would kill me if I lost you too. If and when I someone become a freeman, I want to meet the man that makes you smile like that,"_

_Aster hugged Sirius tightly, "I'll be safe, I promise."_

_"Now go before one of those guys decide to come downstairs and bust you," Sirius released her, "I'll cover for you,"_

_"Thank you, Sirius," Aster headed towards the door and slipped outside._

_Aster walked down the sidewalk until she reached a secluded area before activating the portkey Iskandar had given her. She slammed into the floor with a groan and heard, "Az, are you okay?"_

_"I hate portkeys so much," Aster muttered as she waited for the world to stop spinning._

_"Not everyone can handle them," Iskandar bent down to help her up._

_Aster stumbled a bit and had to lean on him, "Sirius is covering for me so it's unlikely they'll notice I'm gone until sometime tomorrow."_

_"That was nice of him," Iskandar replied as he held her, "Are you going to be okay?"_

_"When the world stops spinning," Aster muttered and slowly the world righted itself, "Did you miss me?"_

_"Every day," Iskandar smiled down at her, "How are you?"_

_"Outside of my head spinning?" Aster smiled up at him, "I've got a killer headache and I could really use a nap. Other than that, I'm good,"_

_"Let's get you to bed then, we can talk more tomorrow before my family gets here," Iskandar said as he began leading her out of the front room, "My mother is really excited to meet you,"_

_Aster felt the tension in her body ease as Iskandar led her up the grand staircase, "Should I be worried?"_

_"No though my sisters will likely be the thing to worry about since they'll probably use this as an excuse to drag you a shopping spree with them at some point," Iskandar offered her a sheepish smile, "Sorry,"_

_"It's fine," Aster leaned into him as they reached the top of the stairs and moved towards the room she'd stayed in since Iskandar brought her home with him, "After all, it'll give me a chance to get to know them properly and them to do the same with me. I just hope they realize that I've never been on a shopping spree before,"_

_They reached her room and she dropped her bag onto the heavy wool rug as soon as she entered. She wrapped her arms around Iskandar as she murmured, "I was so scared when I woke up from that vision. I don't understand how it happened or why."_

_"We'll figure it out, Az," Iskandar promised her as he returned the embrace, "Somehow, someway, we'll figure out what happened and why. From this point on, we'll work on guarding your mind with Occlumency which will also be something you'll need if you're going to learn the animagus transformation,"_

_Aster smiled up at him, "You're still not going to tell me what form you have, are you?"_

_"Not until you're finally able to use the transformation," Iskandar replied before lowering his head and pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Get some rest, Az. We'll have a long day tomorrow,"_

* * *

_"You're absolutely adorable," Iskandar's eldest sister,_ _Cristina, said as she hugged Aster tightly, "Like a little doll!"_

_"Her eyes are like emeralds!" Iskandar's younger sister, Elena, gushed as she clutched at Aster's right arm._

_"Alright you two, let her go," Leona, Iskandar's mother, told the two earning pouts, "You're making her uncomfortable,"_

_Cristina let go of Aster, "Are we?"_

_"Just a bit," Aster was relieved when Elena did the same._

_Cristina had long strawberry blonde hair that she had inherited from her mother and crimson colored eyes a few shades lighter than Iskandar's making them almost pink in color. Cristina was tall with a willowy body and tan skin. Elena had slightly short light red hair and dark almost black red eyes. She was a head shorter than Iskandar and fairly curvy. Leona had braided strawberry blonde hair and cinnamon colored eyes. She was as on the short side though she was still taller than Aster and pale skin much like Iskandar's. Leona spoke as Aster moved away from Iskandar's sisters, "Aster, when was the last time you had your hair cut?"_

_"Before I started Hogwarts, I think," Aster couldn't really remember, "My aunt tried to keep it fairly short, but stopped after Hogwarts started,"_

_"Will you let me cut it?" Leona asked as she reached out to touch the night colored strands, "Not much, you look good with long hair, but your ends could use a serious trim,"_

_"Ooh, why not cut her bangs in a way they can cover her scar?" Cristina suggested earning a surprised look from Aster, "Iskandar mentioned that you hated having your scar stared at, so I thought you might like being able to cover it up,"_

_"You aren't wrong, but I've tried finding ways to cover it up," Aster reached up to rub at her scar._

_"Can it be done, Mama?" Elena asked as she eyed Aster's hair._

_Leona eyed the hair in her hand before saying, "Yes though it'll be up to you, Aster, to keep it that way."_

_Aster blinked in shock before grinning as she said, "Of course, thank you!"_

* * *

_Iskandar looked at her hair in shock, "You cut your hair."_

_"Your mother actually did," Aster flushed lightly, "Do you...like it?"_

_"Yeah, you look wonderful," Iskandar grinned at her before looking at his mother, "Thank you, Mother,"_

_"It's no problem," Leona replied as she walked to sit between Johnathon and her husband,_ _Adrian._

_Adrian had short dark blood red hair much like Iskandar and bright crimson colored eyes. He was a burly and tall man with lightly tanned skin. He grinned a bit as his daughters settled in as well with her taking a seat beside Iskandar, "You did a good job girls. Aster, you look absolutely lovely."_

_"Thank you, Mr. Dragos," Aster replied with a slight flush to her cheeks._

_"Call me Adrian, Aster," Adrian corrected her as he picked up a cup filled with a light red liquid that she knew to be wine, "You are my son's friend and girlfriend after all,"_

_Johnathon spoke as Aster nodded, "How are your studies going, Elena?"_

_Dinner passed with them speaking of the recent events that happened since last meeting each other. As dinner winded down, Adrian asked, "You're running a study group, aren't you, Aster?"_

_"For Defense since the teacher is sub-par though I didn't exactly set out to do so, one of my friends, Hermione, was the one to think of the idea and even start it off," Aster set down her cup, "In the beginning, I acted mostly as a figure-head to get people to join up. But I've grown to enjoy teaching others and helping them grow stronger,"_

_Leona spoke after swallowing a bite of strawberry shortcake Aster had made earlier, "Do you think you'll go into teaching, Aster?"_

_Aster blinked a bit at the question before shrugging, "I'm not really sure what I want to do. I mean I like teaching, but I also enjoy researching magic and learning more about it."_

_"You could do both," Adrian said as he picked up his glass of wine, "It'll be hard, but you'll probably enjoy it quite a bit. I, myself, enjoy speaking about the various digs I've gone on at the universities I've guest spoken at,"_

_"But that'll have to wait until after the dark idiot dies," Cristina commented with a frown._

_"Cristina!" Leona scowled at her daughter, "We will not speak of such things at the dinner table or when we've only just been reunited with one another,"_

_"But moth-" Cristina protested only to be silenced by her father._

_"Cris," Adrian spoke causing everyone to look at him, "There is a time and a place to speak of such things, but right now is not such a time though you are right. For now, let us enjoy our time as a family," Adrian smiled warmly as he gestured to Aster, "After all, you have a new younger sister,"_

_Aster stared at him in shock, "W-what?"_

_Adrian offered Aster a warm smile, "You're a member of the family now, Aster. Men of our family do not just give our hearts away to anyone, Iskandar has given his heart to you and that means you're going to be a part of our family now."_

_Aster was left speechless and shocked even as conversation continued. She didn't snap out of it until Iskandar said, "Let's head up to your room so we can look over you homework, I'm curious to see just how coursework between Drumstrangs and Hogwarts differs."_

_Aster got up and followed Iskandar up to her room. When they got there, she finally spoke, "Really?"_

_Iskandar smiled as he walked over to the desk where her homework was sitting, "Dragos, especially the men, are a lot like dragons when it comes to what we want. When we fall in love, we fall hard and fast. When we have a dream, we do anything to achieve it unless it harms the family. We are a protective lot when it comes to those we love."_

_"How do you know that you love me?" Aster had to ask._

_Iskandar turned to her with a soft look on his face, "Come here, Az," Aster walked slowly towards him and he grabbed her hand when she reached him, "Feel," He pressed her hand to the area over his heart, "What do you feel?"_

_Underneath the fabric of his shirt, Aster was surprised to feel a somewhat quick heartbeat, "You heat...It's beating fast."_

_"It always does when I'm around you," Iskandar said as he cupped her chin and tilted her head up look at him, "Ever since we went to the ball together, I've had this compulsion to be around you. Whenever I can touch or hold you, I feel content and happy. I love hearing you laugh or seeing you smile. I hate it when you're sad and want to protect you," His eyes were soft and warm, "But most of all, I just know that I love you."_

_"I...I don't know what love feels like," Aster admitted feeling a bit lost, "I know that I feel warm whenever you're around me and I hate being away from you. I feel content and happy when you hold me. I feel safe when you're around and that's not something I've felt before. I don't know if what I feel for you is love, so I can't really say it,"_

_"You don't have to," Iskandar pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, "Not yet,"_

* * *

_"Thank you for this, Mother," Iskandar said as they sat together in his mother's study, "With your experience in magics not found in this part of the world, I know you're probably the best person to go to at this moment in time,"_

_"It's no problem," Leona grinned as well before moved to sit down, "Tell me, Aster, what exactly happened in your vision? With any luck, I'll be able to pin down what happened,"_

_Aster grimaced a bit before she began to explain the vision she'd had of Arthur's near death via snake. By the end of it, Leona had a grimace on her face and Iskandar was holding her close to him. Leona stood up and moved towards the bookcase as Iskandar asked, "Mother, do you know of anything quite like this?"_

_"Not personally, but I have heard a bit during my travels into Egypt and the surrounding areas," Leona looked over the books, "To be honest, I'm hoping that I am wrong,"_

_Aster felt a chill seep into her stomach at those words, "What exactly is it?"_

_"There is a vile magic known as a horcrux though the knowledge of how to make them has fallen into obscurity due to just how distasteful it is," Leona answered as she picked up a book and opened it for a few moments before putting it back, "When a powerful witch or wizard murders someone, they are able to use that power to split their very soul in half for a short time. During that time period, they can use a ritual to place one of those halves into a container which, outside of two instances, is usually an item of high personal value. Once that is done, the witch or wizard is tied into this plane and will not fully die until the container is destroyed,"_

_"And you think Voldemort used me for one?" Aster asked feeling sick and unclean._

_Leona sighed deeply, "I'm hoping it isn't the case, but it would explain why he was able to survive as a wraith for so long without becoming a ghost or crossing over."_

_"Is there anyway to tell?" Iskandar asked as his grip on Aster tightened even further._

_"Yes though it will take me time to find the spell that can be used on humans," Leona turned away from the bookcase and looked at Aster's pale face, "Don't worry, Aster, we'll figure this out. Even if you do turn out to be a horcrux, we'll find a way to get rid of it without harming you," Leona looked at Iskandar, "Isk, why don't you take Aster for a walk?"_

_"Right," Iskandar pushed Aster off his lap and stood up before pulling her to stand with him._

_They left the room as Aster ran through what Leona said, "I...I might be a horcrux. I might have a piece of the bastard that murdered my parents inside of me."_

_Aster felt violently ill and rushed towards the nearest bathroom to bring up what was left of the lunch she'd eaten earlier. Iskandar held her hair back as she did so and rubbed her back with a frown on his face. Even when she finished bringing up what was in her stomach and stopped dry heaving, she still felt ill. Iskandar held her to his chest, "Az..."_

_"I might have a piece of that bastard inside of me since that night," Aster murmured as tears welled up in her eyes, "I..."_

_"We'll figure things out," Iskandar promised her as his grip tightened, "I promise that if you do, we'll find a way to get it out of you and destroy it,"_

_Tears fell down her cheeks as she murmured, "Why me? Why does it have to be me?"_

_"I don't know, Az," Aster burrowed her face into his chest, "I don't know,"_

* * *

_Aster hugged Iskandar tightly as they stood in a corner of the train station. Iskandar held her just as tightly, "We'll figure this out, Az. I promise you that we'll figure it out. Just worry about getting through the year, we'll see each other come summer."_

_Aster nodded against his shoulder, "I will."_

_Iskandar pulled away to look at her sternly, "Az, nothing will ever stop me from loving you or being there for you. I promise that by summer we will know the truth of what's going on and we'll move on from there," He smiled a bit, "Work on your mental shields, I want to be able to start the process of attaining your animagus form come summer."_

_"I will," Aster pressed closer to him feeling a bit less unsettled, "Owl me if anything comes up,"_

_"I will," Iskandar promised as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, "Now, go get on the train, you'll want to hide before one of Dumbledore's watchers decide to chew you out,"_

_"Right," Aster giggled a bit and kissed his cheek, "See you, Isk,"_

_"See you, Az," Iskandar pressed a kiss to her lips before pulling away._

* * *

_Aster portkeyed to Iskandar's home after sneaking out of the Burrow around two in the morning when everyone had finally gone to sleep. She landed less harshly than she had before though she still felt horribly ill. Warm arms wrapped around her and anchored her as Iskandar's voice sounded from above her, "Easy, Az. I've got you."_

_"He's dead," Aster whispered as she finally began crying, "Sirius is dead and it's all my fault,"_

_"It isn't your fault, Az," Iskandar replied as he held her to his chest, "It isn't your fault,"_

_Aster didn't believe him, but she wasn't in any state to tell him that. The emotional, mental, physical, and magical exhaustion she'd been dealing with hit her like a ton of bricks as she finally began to cry resulting in her becoming unconscious._

* * *

_Aster stared at the ceiling with bleary eyes as she struggled to remember where she was. She struggled to push herself up feeling a lot weaker than she had been in awhile. She was helped into a sitting position and a glass full of water was pressed to her lips. She drank it before settling back against the pillows that had been placed behind her and found Leona smiling at her, "Miss Leona, what happened?"_

_"You gave us all a scare, Az," Leona replied as she set down the cup and handed Aster her glasses, "You were unconscious for over a week with a serious fever,"_

_"I-I was?" Aster supposed that would explain why her body felt so heavy and weak, "But how?"_

_"With all the stress your body has gone through on top of losing your godfather, it proved to be too much for you especially with your magic being severely depleted," Leona pointed to Aster's right side, "Isk hasn't left your side other than to use the bathroom since you fell unconscious,"_

_Aster stared at Iskandar's sleeping face which was laid on his arms with one of his hands clutching her own, "Isk..."_

_"He really loves you, Az," Leona said as she walked around the bed to shake her son awake, "Isk, wake up,"_

_Iskandar pushed himself up with a tired groan, "Mother, what is so-" Iskandar's eyes widened as he caught sight of her, "Az, you're awake!"_

_Aster found herself being hugged tightly as Iskandar burrowed his face in her stomach. Leona smiled as Aster looked at Iskandar in shock, "I'll leave you two alone for now. I'll be back soon enough to give Aster some medicine and food."_

_Leona left through the open door and shut it behind her with a soft click. Aster looked down at Iskandar in shock as warmth slowly filled her chest banishing away the numbness and pain that had filled it since Sirius had vanished into the veil. She slowly laid her hand on Iskandar's head and began carding her fingers through his hair marveling at how soft it was, "Isk, did you really stay with me since I fell asleep?"_

_"Of course, I couldn't just leave you alone when you're sick or in pain," Iskandar raised his head up to stare at her, "I didn't want you to wake up alone and I wasn't going to be able to function properly when I knew you were in such a state. It scared me," Aster's eyes widened a bit as she saw the faint shimmer of tears filling his eyes, "I worried that you might die because of how bad your fever was and how weak your body was,"_

_"Isk," Aster couldn't believe he was actually crying over her._

_"It was horrible," Iskandar's eyes had bags underneath them, "Watching you suffer and not being able to help, you looked so small, Az. For the first time since we met, I realize just how small you were compared to me,"_

_"Isk," Aster felt his arms tighten._

_"You could have died at the Ministry and I wouldn't have known," Iskandar's eyes darkened in anger, "I hate that I couldn't have done anything to help you when I promised myself that I'd protect yo-"_

_"You did help me," Aster cut him off, "The spells you helped me research during the summer and perfect during Christmas. They helped me keep everyone as safe as I could though they didn't help me save S-Sirius," She choked on her godfather's name, "It's all my fault that I was stupid enough to fall into a trap set by Voldemort. It's my fault that this happened, but it won't happen again," She refused to lose anyone else especially not Iskandar or his family, "I won't let it happen again,"_

_Iskandar let out a slightly rough chuckle as he sat up, "Don't even try to say that you're leaving me in order to protect me."_

_"I won't," Aster knew that he wouldn't let her go._

* * *

_"This spell will tell us if you're a horcrux or not," Leona told Aster once she'd recovered from the horrible fever, "No matter what the results are, we will be beside you every step of the way whether physically or not,"_

_Aster offered her a thankful look as she moved away from Iskandar, "Thank you, Leona, for everything."_

_Leona smiled at Aster, "You're a member of our family, Az. You don't need to thank me."_

_Leona pointed her wand as Aster and began waving it through the air in a complex series of movements as she chanted a strange spell. It wasn't Latin based as far as Aster was aware, but something about it sounded familiar. It was like one of those old songs that sounded so alike despite not being the same. The tip of Leona's wand created a pale mist that floated over to the emerald eyed witch and began to circle her. As it circled her, the mist slowly began to turn an almost oily black color that made it feel like a cold pit had formed in the bottom of her stomach. When Leona stopped chanting, the mist dispersed prompting her to ask, "What did that mean?"_

_The horrified look in Leona's eyes was enough of an answer, but Aster needed to hear it. Leona took a deep breath before saying, "I'm sorry, Az. You're a horcrux."_

_Aster's legs became too weak to hold her up and she collapsed onto the ground as numbness ran through her. Iskandar raced towards her with a shout of, "Az!"_

_Aster looked at him with a pale face as she whispered, "I'm a horcrux. I have a piece of that bastard inside of me."_

* * *

_It took two weeks of the summer for Aster to move on from the horrified conclusion after which she threw herself into finding a way to get rid of it with the Dragos family beside her. To have access to better books and a safe place for them, they all ended up in Turkey where the Dragos family library rested. By order of Leona, Iskandar and Aster spent half their time doing things outside of the library. Aster spent much of her summer walking around the city where the library rested or curled up with Iskandar in some comfortable corner. Not long after Aster's sixteenth birthday, she started sleeping in the same room as Iskandar both out of comfort and because he'd proposed to her._

_Iskandar had proposed in one of the gardens at the manor house during a moonlit dinner. He'd gotten the whole garden done up in fairy lights and candles. They'd eaten her favorite dinner and her favorite dessert before Iskandar had popped the question. Despite her hesitance to accept due to wanting to keep him safe, Aster had accepted because she knew in that moment that this man was the one. Iskandar had given her a plain silver band engraved with their initials on a chain that she would wear until they could wed._

_Of course, They didn't do more than sleep in each other's arms since Leona would tear them both to shreds if they dared to do something like that before she was of age. The matriarch of the Dragos clan had made that quite clear that they couldn't do more than heavy petting. Neither of the newly engaged duo protested since the woman was even scarier than the Horntail Aster had faced during the first task and that was saying something._

* * *

_Underneath a heavy glamour, Iskandar and Aster walked into the train station. Iskandar's grip on her hand tightened a bit as they passed the barrier and moved to their usual corner. Iskandar spoke as they reached it, "I don't want you to go."_

_"I don't either," Aster really didn't want to go to Hogwarts this year since she had so much that needed to be done._

_"But you have to," Iskandar's voice was a bit thick._

_To ensure everyone's safety and to give them more time to research, Aster had to go to Hogwarts and act like she'd never learned of the soul piece stuck within her. She needed to find out who she could trust in the school and who would betray her the moment they could. She was a prominent figure that needed to be in the spotlight while others worked in the shadows to ensure they survived what was to come. She looked at Iskandar as she murmured, "I hate this."_

_"I do too," Iskandar laid his head on hers as he pulled her close to him, "Be safe, Az,"_

_"You too," Aster murmured as she took in a deep breath._

_Iskandar's scent was thick in her nose as he murmured, "Finish your animagus transformation while you're there, you'll need it."_

_"I will," Aster had discovered that she was a raven animagus while Iskandar was a Chinese Fireball animagus._

_"Come back to me," Iskandar pulled away to look at her, "Come back to me, Az,"_

_"Always," Aster promised before they kissed._

* * *

_Iskandar was waiting for Aster when she portkeyed into his family home in England straight from the Hogwarts train, "Is it true?"_

_"Dumbledore is dead," Aster had portkeyed off of the train rather than make it back to the train station, "I saw him fall off the tower. I," The rage that had filled at while she chased the death eaters out of Hogwarts flared, "I saw him, Snape, he's the one that killed Dumbledore. I don't know if he did it on the old man's orders or not, but he killed him,"_

_Iskandar let out a low growl as he wrapped Aster in his arms, "Damn it."_

_"Malfoy let Death Eaters into the school. He was supposed to kill Dumbledore, but ended up failing," Aster leaned into Iskandar feeling her side ache where a cutting curse had managed to hit her, "I chased them out. I tried to kill Bellatrix, but she got away,"_

_"Az," Iskandar's voice was soft._

_"I wanted to kill her, Isk. I wanted to see her lay lifeless on the floor. I wanted to cut her head off," Aster pressed her face into Iskandar's chest feeling shame at thinking like that, "Isk, it scares me,"_

_"Az," Iskandar's grip tightened, "I know it scares you, but she's the one who killed your godfather right before your eyes. You want revenge which is natural, but you can't let it cloud your thoughts,"_

_"I-I know," Aster murmured softly, "I know that,"_

_"One day, she'll get her dues whether you're the one to do it or someone else is. Right now, you aren't ready to face her," Leona said from the stairs and Aster pulled away to find the rest of the Dragos family standing there, "But you will be with our help. The first outward shots have been fired and war has begun," Leona walked down the stairs, "From now on, our goal is to survive this war and ensure that we all make it out in the end. One thing I do know is that we have horcrux's to find and destroy if we're going to kill the snake,"_

_"But how do we find them?" Aster asked as resolve filled her at Leona's words._

_Leona smiled as she held up a book, "With the ritual in this book, we will be able to track them down. Each of us will work together to track them down and destroy every single one of them."_

_"When do we start?" Aster didn't want to waste anytime._

* * *

_Aster walked into Grimmauld place with Iskandar and Elena following her. Elena's nose scrunched up, "Your godfather had to stay here?"  
_

_"Yes. It was apparently the only safe place they could shove him," Aster grimaced a bit as she led the way to the drawing room, "Come on, I think the cabinet it's in is inside the drawing room since it was one of the only rooms that I stayed in for any amount of time when trying to avoid people while waiting for the right time to run,"_

_"It seems fitting that a vile piece of magic would end up in this hellhole," Elena murmured earning two snorts, "No offense to you, Az,"_

_"None taken," Aster said as she opened the door and headed straight to the cabinet, "Now let's see,"_

_Aster rooted around through the cabinet for a little while only to find nothing. Iskandar frowned as she moved away from the cabinet, "Nothing?"_

_"It's not here, but this is definitely the cabinet I was looking for," Aster frowned as she tried to figure out where it had gone._

_Elena snapped her fingers, "What about that crazy house elf you talked about? Maybe he would know."_

_"Well it's better than nothing," Aster wasn't sure he'd answer to her, "Kreacher!"_

_A crack echoed through the air as the house elf appeared with a sneer, "What does dirty half-blood master want?"_

_Iskandar snarled at the house elf, "Why you-"_

_"Isk, not now," They didn't have much time since there was no telling if the order still frequented this place, "Kreacher, where is the locket that was in that cabinet?" She pointed to the cabinet, "We're here to destroy it,"_

_"D-destroy Master Regulus' locket?" Kreacher whispered with wide eyes, "You're going to complete Kreacher's mission?"_

_Aster's eyes widened a bit at the crazy elf's words, "Regulus? You mean Sirius' brother?" Kreacher jerkily nodded, "Kreacher, you need to explain what's going on to me."_

_Kreacher explained his story and Aster felt her heartache not only for the elf before her, but Sirius as well. Sirius would never know that his brother wasn't a true Death Eater. Kreacher's eyes were filled with tears as he finished, "But Kreacher couldn't destroy the nasty locket."_

_"But we can," Aster bent down to look Kreacher in the eye, "Kreacher, give us the locket and we'll destroy it. We'd be honored to help you destroy it,"_

_Kreacher nodded and disappeared with a crack before returning with an exact copy of the clunk locket that Dumbledore had in his office alongside the sword of Gryffindor. Aster had Kreacher lay the locket on the drawing room's desk. Elena cast a ton of wards around the room and the locket, "There, we should be safe to destroy it now."_

_Iskandar took out the flask of basilisk poison Johnathon had given them, "Right. Open the locket, Az. We only have one good shot at this."_

_Aster nodded as she turned to the locket and hissed, "_ Open!"

_The hinges of the locket sprung open and a shade of Voldemort appeared. Before it could speak, Iskandar poured the entire flash of basilisk poison onto the locket. The shriek that left the dying horcrux was bloodcurdling in nature and left their ears ringing for awhile. The basilisk poison ate through the locket and slowly did the same to the desk beneath it. Elena spoke after taking down the wards, "Well that...You have that shit inside you?"_

_"Thankfully the phoenix tears nullified it," Aster stumbled to sit in one of the chair, "That was something,"_

_"I need a drink," Iskandar muttered as he flopped onto a diffrent chair._

* * *

_Aster, Iskandar, and Elena returned after barring the Black family home from anyone other than a member of the Black family. As they walked into the library which was being used as their home-base of sorts, Leona looked up from the gigantic map of England they were using to track the horcrux's, "I saw one of them disappear. Did you manage it?"_

_"Yes, Mother," Iskandar dropped onto one of the love-seats and Aster flopped down beside him, "The locket is gone and Aster now has a second house elf completely loyal to her,"_

_"Oh?" Leona looked at her curiously prompting the younger witch to relay the story, "Well house elves are useful little buggers, what are you having him do?"_

_"Clean Grimmauld properly before going to Hogwarts to spy for us," Aster answered earning a raised eyebrow, "I figured it would be a good idea to have eyes in Hogwarts while everything is going on since I'm not going back this year. Since McGonagall is unlikely to become the Headmistress with Riddle running amok, it's very likely they'll put a Death Muncher in charge which will likely end up being Snape. As a result, I'd likely end up killed if I went back,"_

_Leona inclined her head, "It's a very good idea though we will be keeping up with your education. After all, it would do for you to be behind everyone."_

_Aster grimaced a bit, but didn't argue. Elena spoke up from the couch she had claimed, "Mother, have Father and Grandfather managed to convinced the goblins to search their vaults for the soul piece?"_

_"I do not know," Leona shook her head as she looked back at the map, "There is no telling when they'll agree to search, they will no matter what since dark objects of this nature go against every law in the books, but it is likely they will try to get something out of us for destroying it,"_

_"Which is why Grandfather is there to ensure they don't manage to swindle Father out of every last galleon we have," Cristina laughed as she entered the library, "So how did the job go?"_

_"Not too badly thanks to a very helpful house elf," Iskandar wrapped an arm around Aster's waist, "Who is now going to be our spy inside the castle,"_

_"Makes me wonder if the Scotland Horcrux is inside Hogwarts," Cristina said causing everyone to look at her in confusion, "With how much he loved Hogwarts, it wouldn't surprise me if he managed to find a way to sneak it inside,"_

_"But that would mean having to search through every inch of the damn school and considering just how large it is, it would take months if not a year even with Az being there," Iskandar said with a grimace._

_Aster grimaced as she realized just how likely it was, "You're probably right, but where in the castle would it be? It would have to be somewhere people couldn't stumble upon it, but also somewhere it wouldn't look odd if it were found there."_

_Elena snapped her fingers, "The room of requirement. You mentioned it could turn into anything and that it once became a room filled with junk that people probably needed to hide lest they get into trouble."_

_"That's right," Aster wouldn't put it past Riddle to use the room if he found it, "But that still means that we'd be walking right into enemy territory since they announced that Snape would be the Headmaster yesterday,"_

_"It will be one of the last ones we destroy," Leona decided as the woman stood up to look at the map, "We'll need to sneak inside. Aster, do you still have that map of the school?"_

_"In my trunk," Aster had left it with all her other school stuff that she would probably no longer use, "I'll go grab it and give it to you,"_

_Aster turned to press a kiss to Iskandar's cheek before shrugging off his arm and headed up to their room._

* * *

_"A wedding invitation?" Iskandar asked while taking the letter she handed over, "I didn't know Delacour decided to live in England,"_

_"I didn't either, but according to the letters Ron's been sending me, she's been dating his eldest brother, Bill," Aster leaned back in her chair, "He's the one that works as a Curse Breaker though it's likely he's chosen to work in England to be closer to his family during a time like this,"_

_Iskandar nodded as he looked over the invitation, "Looks like you're able to take a date, do you want to go?"_

_Aster thought about it carefully before nodding, "I'd like to if only to be able to see everyone."_

_"You two would have to go in disguise though," Leona said as she summoned the invitation to herself, "Non-magical disguises would be a must. Hair dye or a wig for each of you, you would also need to use colored contacts. A bit of cover-up to ensure your scar is fully covered," Leona looked at Aster and Iskandar, "You both could use a break and it would give Az the ability to see what a magical wedding ceremony is like,"_

_"I suppose that means I'll be owling them back with an agreement as well as some fake names for them to put on the guest list," Aster said earning a nod from Iskandar, "I need to get a new dress since the one I used during the ball is too small both around my chest and my hips,"_

_"Isk definitely needs a new suit," Elena commented as she plucked the invitation from her mother's grip, "Ooh, we can go shopping again! It was so much fun the last time,"_

* * *

_"Aster!" Hermione threw herself onto Aster and hugged the black haired witch tightly, "I was so worried when you disappeared off the train,"_

_"I'm sorry, Hermione," Aster hugged the not-so bushy haired girl tightly, "Professor Dumbledore gave me a job to do and I've been working on it with the help of Isk and his family," Aster waved a hand towards Iskandar who was currently being eyed by Ron, "I'm sorry that I didn't say anything, but with my state of mind, I just needed to get away somewhere to think,"_

_Hermione pulled away with a sniffle, "I suppose that's alright. I...had to make my parents forget about me and sent them to Australia to keep them safe."_

_"You sent them to the country filled with things designed to kill its inhabitants to keep them safe?" Aster asked Hermione with a raised eyebrow, "Why not send them to America? That would be loads safer,"_

_"My parents always wanted to go to Australia," Hermione defended herself with flushed cheeks, "You're the one that ran off!"_

_Aster giggled a bit as she said, "How about we just enjoy being together, okay?"_

* * *

_After being berated by Mrs. Weasley and hugged within an inch of her life, Aster introduced everyone to Iskandar and informed them about their engagement. The news wasn't greeted with quite as much happiness as it had been with the Dragos family, but Fleur more than made up for it when she congratulated the two alongside Bill. Mrs. Weasley frowned at Aster, "Are you sure about this?"_

_"Very sure, Mrs. Weasley," Aster watched Iskandar as he was dragged into the living room of the Burrow by the males of the Weasley family, "I...I may not know if what I feel for him is love, but I know that he's what I want,"_

_"Then I won't protest this," Mrs. Weasley patted Aster's shoulder, "I'm glad you found someone," The matriarch stood up, "I'll be going to get beds prepared for you both,"_

_Ginny pounced on Aster the moment her mother was gone, "_ _So Az," Aster looked at Ginny with wary eyes upon hearing her tone, "How is he?"_

_Aster's cheeks flushed as she said, "I wouldn't know. We may sleep in the same room, but we don't do that. Leona would kill us both if we did anything like that before we were both of age. Even then, she would prefer it if we were married first."_

_"But you do sleep together?" Fleur asked from her place beside Aster._

_"Yes and maybe some heavy petting," Aster looked down at the mug in her hands as Ginny squealed, "Nothing more,"_

_"Have you seen him naked yet?" Ginny asked making Aster's cheeks turn a bright enough red to rival that of a strawberry, "You have!"_

_"We share a room, so it's obvious we'd see each other naked by accident sometimes," Aster really wanted to sink through the floor at that moment._

_Dear god, Aster wouldn't be able to even look Iskandar in the eye by the time Ginny and Fleur were done. Hermione was silent, but quite clearly listening in on the conversation with interest._

* * *

_Iskandar looked at the snitch in her hand, "That's the one you caught with your mouth?"_

_"Yup," Aster looked it over with a frown, "I have no clue why he gifted it to me,"_

_"Are you going to keep it?" Iskandar asked as she fiddled with it._

_Aster thought about it carefully before nodding, "I don't see why not."_

* * *

_Iskandar's dark brown hair and brown eyes weren't something Aster would ever get used to seeing. She doubted the dark blonde hair and dark blue eyes she was currently sporting was something Iskandar would ever get used to seeing either. Iskandar spoke as he looked over the wig she was wearing, "I prefer your normal hair and eye color."_

_"Ditto," Aster wrapped her arms around him, "I am never doing this again if I can help it,"_

_"Agreed though I'm jealous mother let you wear a wig," Iskandar commented as she laid her head on his chest._

_"Let's face it, my hair probably wouldn't have held the dye very well and I can actually pass for a blonde with my skin tone," Aster paused before groaning, "Your sisters are evil. Teaching me about fashion,"_

_Iskandar chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, "You can forget all about it over copious amounts of treacle tart when we get home."_

* * *

_Aster held onto Iskandar's hand as they rushed towards the orchard, "Can I just say how much I hate my fucking luck?"_

_"Later," Iskandar tugged her into the safety of the trees even as spells rushed towards them, "Mother is going to be pissed that we didn't leave earlier,"_

_"She'll be happy that we're safe," Aster led the way through the orchard to where she knew the edge of the wards to be._

_While Aster could always transform into her animagus form, she didn't want to leave Iskandar who couldn't risk showing his form to anyone. Finally, they passed through the ward line and portkeyed out immediately. Leona was on them immediately, "What happened? Why are you two injured?"_

_Questions along a similar vein were asked as the matriarch of the Dragos clan fussed over the two that were struggling to recover from the chase, Aster enjoyed the fussing for what it was and gladly accepted the healing that was offered to her._

* * *

_Aster shivered as Iskandar ran his fingers over the newest scar to be added to her skin. It was a thin, but jagged line that ran from her right shoulder down to her hip. Thankfully, the cutting curse that it had come from wasn't strong enough to kill her, but it was strong enough to leave an impression that would likely never fade. Iskandar spoke as she rested her chin on a pillow, "We were lucky."_

_"Very lucky," Aster stared at the dragon carved into the headboard, "We can't take risks like that again,"_

_"Do you think your friends made it out alive?" Iskandar asked as his mouth pressed into the top of her newest scar._

_Aster hummed as he slid his tongue across the still red skin, "Yeah. I thought I saw Hermione and Ron disappear. I'll contact the Weasleys at some point to make sure of it though it'll have to wait until everything dies down a bit."_

_Aster rolled onto her back when Iskandar pulled away and held out a hand to him. He threaded their fingers together as he murmured, "That thing is in charge of the Ministry."_

_"Yeah," Aster swallowed harshly, "We're going to have to be even more careful now,"_

_"Just a bit," Iskandar leaned over to press a kiss to her lips._

_Breaking the kiss, they settled down to rest._

* * *

_Ron swore loudly as he slammed into the floor of the manor while Hermione groaned as she hit the ground. Aster made her way over to the duo, "Who figured out which was the correct potion to go through the flames in first year?"_

_"I was," Hermione answered as she pushed herself up, "Who howled to get the werewolf away from everyone?"_

_"Hermione Granger, but then we had to run away from said cursed wolf until Buckbeak decided to send Moony packing," Aster answered as she held out a hand to Hermione, "Who was Sirius Black really after?"_

_"Peter Pettigrew," Ron answered as he pushed himself up, "Mate, you could have warned us about the portkey,"_

_"Sorry," Aster helped Hermione up, "I would like you to meet Iskandar's siblings Elena and Cristina," Aster waved a hand to the two who were watching the new arrivals in interest, "Elena, Cristina, the ginger is Ron and the witch is Hermione,"_

_"Holy Merlin, you didn't mention his sisters were hot," Ron said as he stared at the two._

_"Touch my sisters and you will never have children," Iskandar hissed at Ron making the ginger haired boy pale as his hands reached down to shield his junk._

_"Isk, no terrifying our guests," Cristina rolled her eyes at Iskandar, "Besides, I'm already in a relationship and Elena prefers the same team,"_

_Aster and Hermione pulled Ron to his feet while the black haired witch looked over her friends. They looked worn down and didn't seem to be sleeping well. Considering the fact they were on the run because of the friendship they shared with her, she couldn't blame them. She spoke as Iskandar walked over to wrap an arm around her waist, "You two definitely need a proper shower and a hot meal. Not to mention some rest, we'll show you to the rooms you'll be staying in and give you a small tour."_

* * *

_"So you guys are looking for these horcrux's and destroying them in order to kill Riddle?" Hermione asked earning a nod from Aster, "And you're apparently one of them?"_

_"An accidental one from what we've been able to discover," Leona replied as Aster placed food on the table for everyone, "We're attempting to find a way to destroy the horcrux without killing Aster, but haven't found much which makes me hope you'll be able to help us, Miss Granger. If what Az has told us is true, you're ability to research will be just what we need. If nothing else, it'll be another set of hands,"_

_Ron summed up the conversation as Aster sat down in her seat next to Iskandar, "Mate, your luck is fucked up."_

_"I think we've all figured that out by now," Aster replied as she poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle sitting on the table, "Ron, you'll be working with Isk, Elena, and I on battle skills when we're not helping with research or searching for the horcrux's,"_

_"What exactly does that mean?" Ron asked after swallowing the mouthful of food he'd been chewing._

_"Strategy, battle magic, dueling, and fighting on various terrains," Iskandar answered as Aster started eating, "It'll be difficult since you're not exactly in the best shape, but if you want to be of actual help, you'll learn,"_

_"Right," Ron nodded after taking a drink, "When do we start?"_

* * *

_Aster jogged beside an exhausted Ron and Hermione, "Come on you two, you'll never survive the coming fight if you don't work harder."_

_"Aster, isn't there an easier way to do this?" Hermione gasped out as one of her arms went to clutch her side._

_"Nope," Aster popped the 'p', "In order to obtain more power for you spells and to be able to cast for longer, you need to strengthen your body. Magic flows better when your body is healthy," Aster offered them both a sympathetic smile, "It might seem like hell right now, but it'll be worth it. It's one of the only reasons I was able to avoid getting seriously hurt during the Department of Mysteries debacle," She looked in front of them, "Not much further guys, you just gotta run for a bit longer," That made the two speed up and soon they passed the mile marker, "Okay, you can start slowing down. Don't just drop to the ground no matter how much you may want to, it'll hurt a hell of a lot less later on,"_

_"How the fuck did you do this?" Ron asked as the two slowed to a jog then a walk._

_Aster dropped into a sitting position as the two sat down slowly, "Isk kept on encouraging me until I didn't really need it anymore. With my resolve to never be weak or let those I care for die because of me again, I stopped thinking about quitting or giving up."_

_A cold water bottle was tossed to the two while Aster was handed one by Iskandar. Iskandar dropped down to sit next to her as she uncapped the bottle of water, "You two are out of shape. A lot worse than Az was when she started."_

_"So it'll take longer for them to get used to this, won't it?" Aster asked as she leaned against him._

_"Yup," Iskandar eyed Ron with a small frown, "You especially will have to work hard if you want to get anywhere. While you aren't fat, you are no where near fit enough for what we have planned. Your Quidditch training has at least ensured you have some muscle though not as much as a Chaser, a Beater, or even a Seeker," He looked towards Hermione, "You have some strength since you're able to carry all those books, but that's no where near enough,"_

_"Elena is going to have a field day with you," Aster said earning a confused look from Hermione, "You didn't think you'd just be running or doing basic stuff when not researching, did you?"_

_"Yes," Hermione looked at Iskandar when he let out a bark of laughter._

_Ron frowned at him, "What are you laughing at?"_

_"You two are in the hands of my family, the Dragos," Iskandar's grin was a bit dark and sent a pleasant shiver down Aster's spine, "We take war very seriously when we deign to involve ourselves. As you're important to Az and willing to help her, you're going to be put through complete hell until we deem you worthy enough to battle beside her. Az already has a head start," Aster sipped her water as Ron and Hermione paled, "To put it quite plainly, the shit you're going through today is nothing compared to whats to come. We're merely testing you today,"_

_Ron swore as Hermione looked at Aster, "He doesn't mean that, does he?"_

_"Sorry, 'Mione," Aster had been spending too much time with Iskandar and his family if she was taking so much joy in how pale her friends looked._

* * *

_Aster frowned as she looked at the map, "Leona, do you think one of these is actually showing us Riddle's main soul rather than just the pieces he's shed?"_

_Leona looked up from the book she was studying and glanced at the map, "Why do you ask?"_

_Aster walked closer to the map and pointed at where two dark ink-like blots were sitting almost on top of each other, "These two, they wouldn't be that close together if they were two horcrux's if where each one has been found/hidden."_

_"You might be right about that," Leona said as she stood up and walked over, "If that's true, we'll have a hell of a time getting rid of that soul piece,"_

_"It's moving though," Aster said as the smaller of the two blots moved slowly towards an unnamed forest, "Does that mean its in an living vessel?"_

_"If it is, it'll have more protections than the others," Leona frowned at the moving blot, "While I would prefer to capture it and see if we can extract the soul piece, it likely has a lot of tracking charms on it not to mention it'll probably be able to protect itself,"_

_"And by being so close to Riddle, he'll notice it's absence and likely go check on his other soul pieces," Aster grimaced as she turned away from the map to pace, "That means we'll have to get rid of it last otherwise he might just create another soul piece and hide it somewhere we won't be able to touch it," She let out a low growl and slammed her first into one of the columns in the library, "Damn it!"_

_Iskandar placed a calming hand on her shoulder, "That just means we'll have to draw them out."_

_Aster looked at Iskandar then at the map as an idea came to her, "Hogwarts...We'll draw them to Hogwarts when we're finished and end this blood war."_

* * *

_Adrian and Johnathon walked into the library where they were putting together a proper plan, "The goblins have finally agreed. They're searching the known Death Eater vaults as we speak."_

_"So what's going on here?" Adrian asked as he walked over to Leona to tug his wife into a hug._

_Leona explained Aster's theories and her idea. Johnathon spoke with an impressed expression on his face, "We'll need to get more allies together and form a proper plan on how to get into the school and take it from them."_

_"And then, it'll be a matter of destroying the soul piece inside the school before Riddle retaliates and preparing everything to destroy him," Cristina said with a sharp smile._

_Aster spoke from her place in Iskandar's lap, "I want to be the one to take him down. Even if the prophecy about us is complete shit, I need to be the one to end him. I need to get that closure in order to move on properly."_

_"And you will," Iskandar promised as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, "We'll make sure of it,"_

_Killing someone wasn't something she wanted to do, Aster knew that she needed to do it if she wanted to be free of Riddle._

* * *

_The horcrux in Gringotts vanished from the map leaving only three more left alongside Riddle. To celebrate, they took a break from their research and scheming to enjoy a few days of relaxation. Leona had Iskandar and Aster start thinking about planning their wedding even if it wouldn't occur for at least another year. Both of them agreed that it would be a small wedding, they wanted nothing to do with the general public or the news papers. It would be held at the Dragos manor in England both because the gardens were beautiful and because it was the place where they'd started to truly fall in love. The wedding would happen in the spring. Lastly, they both decided that white would be almost completely absent from the wedding. It was too pale and wouldn't fit either of them. Red on the other hand would definitely be present. Outside of that, they left the main planning to an eager Leona, Cristina, and Elena since neither of them really cared for anything other than getting married._

* * *

_Laying her head on Iskandar's shoulder as she watched snow fall from the sky, Aster murmured, "Everything is coming together."_

_"Yeah," Iskandar had an arm around her waist while he was holding a history book in his other hand, "Are you ready for it?"_

_"Not really," Aster admitted as she shifted into a proper sitting position in his lap, "I've spent almost all of my life fighting whether it was to survive my relatives, to make it through the school year, or trying to keep myself alive whenever Riddle attacked me. The idea of no longer having to fight scares the hell out of me," She heard a small thump as Iskandar's book fell to the side table before feeling his other arm wrap around her waist, "I'm scared that one of us isn't going to make it out of the battle. I'm scared that I might lose everyone and be left alone again. I'm scared that everything will change once the battle is over. I'm scared, Isk," She looked him in the eye as she murmured, "The biggest thing I'm scared about isn't dying, but living without everyone,"_

_"It's okay to be scared," Iskandar's eyes were soft as he spoke, "You aren't the only one scared about what's to come, Az. I'm scared too, but we can't let our fears rule us,"_

_Aster swallowed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I know that, Isk, but that doesn't change the fact I don't know how I'm going to live my life without you if the worst happens. I can't imagine living without you in my life."_

_"I can't imagine living without you either, Az," Iskandar murmured softly, "But that just means we have to make a promise," He smiled softly, "We'll live through what's to come no matter what. Not for ourselves, but for each other,"_

_"I can do that," Aster murmured as Iskandar lowered his head._

_"Then we'll live for each other," Iskandar's warm breath hit her lips and they sealed their promise with a kiss._

* * *

_Aster looked at the book in her hands then at the pale faces of the female members of the Dragos clan and Hermione, "I...I have to die."_

_"By Riddle's hand in order to survive the destruction of the horcrux," Leona murmured as the book fell out of Aster's trembling hands, "You'll come back after dying,"_

_A bitter feeling rose up in Aster's chest as tears began to fall, "That's it then, I'm going to die."_

_Arms wrapped around her trembling form, Leona's body warm as the matriarch of the Dragos clan murmured, "You'll come back to us, Az. So long as your will is strong enough, you'll come back to us."_

_"Why me? Why is it me?" Aster's voice cracked, "I do my best to survive only to die at the hands of the man that killed my parents,"_

_Aster was numb as she shook of Leona and headed to the doors of the library. She paid no mind to the voices of those calling after her as she moved through the manor. When a snarling roar echoed through the manor, she ran until her bare feet touched soil and then took the sky on midnight colored wings. She flew through the chilly sky over a world that hasn't yet broken winter's grip without a direction or thought of where she was going only that she needed to get away. She landed long after day had given way to night inside a graveyard. Slowly, she walked through it until she reached two headstones which bore the names of Lily and James Potter. Dropping to the frozen snow covered ground as she stared at the graves, a distant part of her let out a laugh at the irony of the situation._

_Aster stared at the graves that she'd seen only once that summer after Sirius had died when Leona managed to track down where her parents had been buried. A bitter smile stretched across her lips as she wondered how her parents would react to her coming here. Who in the world went to a graveyard when they were just informed that they were going to die?_

_Familiar arms picked her up before settling her into a familiar lap that was far warmer than she'd ever felt it, Aster leaned back against him as Iskandar whispered, "I'm not going to let it happen. I'm not going to let you die. We'll find another way."_

_"Why is it always me, Isk?" Aster's voice was cracking and breaking with each word._

_"I don't know, Az. I don't know," Iskandar's reply echoed the one he'd given her when they'd found out about her horcrux._

* * *

_They searched through the books even as the day they planned on invading Hogwarts drew nearer only to find nothing. Slowly, Aster began to resolve herself to her fate and worked hard to enjoy each day that came since it might just be her last. There was no telling if she'd actually come back after getting struck by the killing curse, she had read the book that they'd gotten the information from over and over to ingrain it into her mind. When the curse struck, she had to think of why living was so important to her. If she didn't, it would be over and she wouldn't get her happy ending._

* * *

_Rolling the snitch in her hand, Aster stopped when she noticed words appearing and read aloud, "I open at the close?"_

_Aster ran that through her mind and had a flashback to her first Quidditch game. An idea occurred to her and she slowly raised the snitch to her lips. A small click echoed from the snitch and she pulled it away to watch as a space inside the golden ball was revealed. Inside the space, a vaguely familiar black stone rested. Dropping the stone into her hand, she looked it over carefully before realizing that this stone had been part of the ring horcrux. What on earth had possessed Dumbledore to send it to her?_

_Shaking her head softly, Aster placed the stone into her pocket and decided to forget about it for now. After all, she had to prepare for what's to come._

* * *

_Aster winged her way into Hogwarts on swift wings just after midnight. Elena, Iskandar, Cristina, and Adrian were sneaking into the castle via the secret passageway inside of Honeydukes. Leona, Hermione, Johnathan, and Ron were gathering their allies together in groups of two. Iskandar carried the map and after they got rid of the horcrux, they would be going after all the adults in the castle. After finding the teachers that weren't Death Eaters or sympathizers, they would go through the students by house and capture the wannabe Death Eaters. The wannabe Death Eaters would be locked in the Chamber of Secrets once the basilisk corpse was moved into the statue. After that, they would bring their allies to Hogwarts and get the castle fortified before sending their deceleration of war._

* * *

_Sneaking into the RoR was easy thanks to the map, the spells they used to freeze the portraits and the black clothes they wore to blend in also helped. Entering the room of Hidden Things, Aster swore alongside Iskandar at just how much shit was piled into the room. Aster looked at Elena and Cristina, "Horcrux's can survive dragon fire, can they?"_

_"It shouldn't," Cristina gained a look of realization on her face, "Brother, it looks like your inner pyromaniac gets to play,"_

_Iskandar rolled his eyes as they started clearing the area around them. As soon as they cleared a decent sized area, Iskandar transformed and they cast a bubble head charm before giving him the signal. Iskandar's Chinese Fireball form was covered in crimson colored scales with a few patches of gold/yellow. He wasn't as big as the Horntail she'd faced, but a lot longer with a smoother body type. Iskandar reared back before releasing a wave of crimson colored fire at the area around him. Slowly, he made his way through the room burning everything he came across. On the one hand, it was disappointing that they would never know just what exactly the room once held. On the other hand, none of them had the patience or time necessary to go through everything. When Iskandar finished, he coiled his body around hers prompting Elena to say, "Stay with brother, Az. He's probably going to stay that way for awhile considering everything that going to be happening."_

_Aster laid her hand on Iskandar's nose as she called out, "Sure! Tell us if you find anything!"_

_"Will do!" Elena called out before the two headed off._

_A silent command to the room had it clear of smoke. Aster rubbed Iskandar's nose as she murmured, "Everything will work out, Isk."_

_Aster murmured that over and over as Iskandar's warm body curled tighter around her. The heat prompted her to relax into him as she took the comfort he was wordlessly offering. She was scared of the battle to come and losing anyone. It was funny that death didn't scare her. It had never scared her. Of course, she'd feared death at one point, but that fear had faded when she realized just how much scarier life was._

* * *

_Elena whistled as they levitated the basilisk corpse into the statue, "And you killed this thing at twelve?"_

_"It was luck," Aster had been very lucky that the basilisk's eyes had been destroyed by Fawkes and that she hadn't been hit by it during the chase._

_Aster was very lucky to have survived even with Fawkes' tears nullifying the venom that had raged inside her veins while the great serpent that had created it died from the blade stuck in its brain. Iskandar's arms wrapped around her the moment the basilisk was safely hidden within the statue and they went to work sealing up all the entrances, "You okay, Az?"_

_"No, but I will be," Aster leaned into him trying to absorb the heat he was giving off in an attempt to ward off the chill that had seeped into her from the memories she had of this place, "Are you?"_

_"No," Iskandar's arms tightened around her, "Knowing that you almost died in this place, it isn't a pleasant thought, Az,"_

_"I know," Aster murmured as she shifted in his arms to curl hers around his neck, "We should go help the others,"_

_"Not yet," Iskandar leaned down to pull her into a bruising kiss that left her body tingling with promise._

_They only parted when Cristina snapped, "Oi! You can kiss later. We need to get this place sealed up."_

* * *

_"Wait so Riddle broke into Dumbledore's tomb for the old man's wand?" Iskandar asked as McGonagall explained what had happened since the old man's death, "Why?"_

_"Because he believes that Albus had the Elder Wand," McGonagall explained causing Iskandar to scoff._

_"That's just a fairy tail and even if it was true, how in the world would the old man have gotten it?" Iskandar asked with a raised eyebrow._

_Aster spoke before the Professor could answer, "What exactly is the Elder wand?"_

_"You know that story I told you was one of my favorites growing up?" Iskandar asked earning a small nod, "The one about the three brothers,"_

_"The one about Death granting them each a boon because they beat him by using magic to cross a river or something, right?" Aster clarified as she rested in Iskandar's lap, "The one with the unbeatable wand, the stone that allowed people to see those they've lost, and the 'original' invisibility cloak?"_

_"Yup," Iskandar pressed a kiss to her cheek._

_"And you think that Dumbledore somehow got his hands on the unbeatable wand?" Aster turned to McGonagall who nodded slowly, "How did he get it if the wand has apparently been lost to the annuals of time alongside the other two hallows?"_

_"Grindelwald had it and when Dumbledore beat him, the wand became his," McGonagall looked incredibly uncomfortable._

_"But how did Dumbledore beat him if he had the wand?" Aster asked since it wasn't making much sense._

_McGonagall shook her head, "No one other than Dumbledore and Grindelwald know."_

_"So Riddle apparently had the unbeatable wand from the legend," Aster resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall, "Well that's fucking wonderful,"_

_"It probably isn't the wand though," Iskandar shook his head, "For now, let's focus on getting the castle fully secured and ready for the coming battle,"_

* * *

_As Aster made her way out of the castle after Voldemort made his announcement, her hands found the stone in her pocket and she twisted it around in her fingers. She was only vaguely shocked by her parents and Sirius appearing as she made her way across the ground under the cover of her invisibility cloak. She smiled weakly at them, "Hey."_

_"Hey, Bambi," James Potter murmured with a slight grin._

_"Oh, Aster," Lily Potter-Evans whispered with a sad smile._

_"Pup," Sirius grinned sadly, "Looks like this is going to happen, huh?"_

_"Yeah," Aster reached up with the hand clutching the stone and wiped away the tears running down her cheeks, "Does it hurt?"_

_"No," Lily's hand slid through her cheek as the shade tried to touch her, "One moment you're there and one moment you're not,"_

_"Do you regret it?" Aster had to ask._

_"No," Was the resounding answer._

_Aster smiled sadly feeling better about what was going to happen, "I love him. I know that I love him now which really fucking sucks considering the fact that I'm walking to my death. I love them all so much that it hurts. What if I die and don't come back? I can't leave them especially not him."_

_"Whatever happens, we'll always be with you," Lily promised as James nodded._

_"I may not be happy about it, but I'm glad you found him, Bambi," James grinned at her, "He's a good man even if I don't really want to admit it. He'll take care of you,"_

_"I'm still pissed about not getting to meet him, but he's great from what I've seen," Sirius' hand rested just above her shoulder, "He loves you so much, Pup,"_

_"I know," Aster took a deep breath, "Will you be with me?"_

_"Always," The three murmured as Aster closed in on the clearing._

_Pulling off the cloak, she placed it into pocket before doing the same with the stone. When it left her fingers, the shades vanished, but Aster knew somehow that they were still with her. Entering the clearing, Aster called out, "Tom."_

_"Aster Potter, come to die," The snake-like creature that she called her enemy hissed at her._

_Aster glared at Riddle as he raised his wand and pointed it at her. As the green curse launched itself towards her, she thought of all her reasons to live. Iskandar, her fierce dragon that loved her. Leona, the woman that tended to her wounds and offered sage advise even without her asking for it. Adrian, the love able fool that had happily accepted her into his family even knowing the dangers that would come. Johnathon, the old man that saw her as another granddaughter and always had a story to tell. Cristina, the older sister that taught her how to act like a girl and shown her how to be fashionable. Elena, the ditsy younger sister with a heart of gold and a curiosity that often scared her. Hermione, the first female friend she'd ever had and the one she couldn't do without no matter how bad things got between them. Ron, the lazy bastard that often made her want to throttle him when they played chess. And lastly, she thought about the future that she wanted to have. A future of red/black haired children running around while she cuddles with Iskandar cradling her pregnant form. And as the curse hits, she knew that death wasn't going to take her._

_The white train station that appeared around her was a shock, but Aster forced it down as she called out, "I don't care about what choices are being offered, I choose to survive."_

_"And why is that mortal? You could be with those long lost or even find a new life with less heartache," A voice that reminds her of a falling leaves and rattling bones came from around her._

_"Because I have people waiting for me. Everything that you can offer will be mine in the end, I just have to be patient," Aster didn't move from her spot as a train pulled up, "I have the man that I love waiting for me,"_

_"And if they all decide to leave you? That you aren't worth it?" The voice demanded sounding a bit angry._

_"Then I'll greet Death without protest," Aster looked at the glossy train as it's doors opened and let out a familiar old man, "I have a job to do and people that need me,"_

_"I suppose that I'm not needed, am I?" Dumbledore asked looking a little amused._

_"You are," Aster walked right up to the old man and punched him earning a grunt of surprised pain, "That is for being a goddamn bastard for trying to intemperate a prophecy that could have been for something entirely diffrent," She kicked him in the balls, "That is for playing with lives," She punched him causing his nose to break, "And that is for everything I don't know,"_

_Dumbledore spat out blood as his body immediately began to heal from the wounds she inflicted, "For what its worth, I truly am sorry."_

_"Not good enough," A familiar voice hissed from behind her and warm arms curled around her._

_"Isk, what are you going here?" Aster asked as she turned away from Dumbledore._

_"I don't know how, but I felt you die," Iskandar hugged her tightly to him, "My magic reacted and I somehow ended up wherever here is,"_

_"Limbo," Dumbledore gasped out causing them to turn to the nearly healed man, "This is Limbo,"_

_"I've already made my decision to live," Aster said as Iskandar looked at her, "No idea why we're still here,"_

_"Soul Mates, I hate dealing with soul mates," The voice grumbled sounding like a petulant child who's been forced to share their toy._

_"Soul Mates? Us?" Aster looked at Iskandar with a wide eyed expression that his face echoed._

_"Return to life if you so wish, just kill the snake bastard already so I can enjoy the next few centuries of torturing him," The voice snapped before everything went white._

* * *

_Aster collapsed against Iskandar a few hours after the final battle. All she wanted to do was sleep since they'd been stuffed full by the Dragos family house elves, been healed up, and gotten cleaned up already. Iskandar rolled them until he was settled on top of her, "Isk?"_

_"I was so scared that I was going to lose you," Iskandar's fingers tugged at her clothes until he got irritated enough to grab his wand and vanish them alongside hers causing their skin to meet, "I did lose you for a few seconds,"_

_"Isk-" Iskandar cut her off with a desperate kiss that left her almost boneless from the sheer emotion filling it._

_Iskandar broke the kiss when Aster's lung began to burn from the lack of oxygen, "Never again, I am not going to lose you again," Iskandar's eyes were fierce as he stared down at her, "Promise me, Aster Potter. Promise me that you will never leave me like that again."_

_"I promise, Isk. I promise that I won't leave you like that again," Aster felt his trembling as the words left her._

_Awareness slipped away from Aster at that moment as Iskandar slammed his lips against hers in heated desperation. Their bodies truly connected for the first time that night after the battle that had threatened to tear them apart, it wasn't a sweet and slow moment like either of them had dreamed of. No, with all the emotions in the air and the knowledge of just how close they'd come to being separated, their first true coupling was a savage and harsh with the only reason for Aster to not be hurt was the magic in their veins. Eventually as dawn approached, the harshness faded into gentle slowness that soothed some of the ache left behind before both of them fell into a deep sleep that neither would properly awaken from for a few days._

* * *

_Aster leaned heavily against Iskandar as they walked into the dinning room. Cristina looked up from her meal and grinned, "Nice to see you two up and around, Mother was worried that you would sleep for another day."_

_"Though I think Az would have preferred staying in bed," Elena giggled as she noticed the slight limp to Aster's steps, "Honestly, Isk. Were you trying to break her?"_

_Aster's cheeks burned while Iskandar snorted, "Sister, do remember to have some form of tact."_

_"Now, now no fighting," Leona said as they took their seats at the table, "Good morning you two,"_

_"Morning," Aster murmured softly._

_"Good morning, Mother," Iskandar kissed his mother's cheek._

_Leona placed food in front of them before saying, "Az, how are you feeling?"_

_"Still exhausted and very sore, but better," Aster picked up her fork._

_"I'll scan you and see what kind of potions you might benefit from," Leona sat down as well, "Adrian, Johnathon, and your friends are out. Johnathon is at the museum and Adrian is with him discussing a new dig with the board. Hermione and Ron have returned to the Weasley home,"_

_"Did they say anything?" Aster asked earning a nod._

_"To tell you that they'd owl or fire call in a few days once they got a measure of what's going on in the magical world," Leona answered causing Aster to slump a bit since she'd wanted to talk with the two at some point, "I believe Hermione is going to send you a letter of who all was lost during the battle,"_

_Elena grimaced at that, "And you say I don't have any tact."_

_"I don't mind too much. I want to know if anyone I knew ended up dying," Aster hoped that no one had died though she understood that it wasn't exactly possible considering the fact it had been a war._

_Elena clucked her tongue before saying, "So how about we get down to wedding planning today?"_

_"How about no?" Aster didn't want to do much if anything today, "I just want to sleep,"_

_"Then you'll sleep," Leona gifted Elena a sharp look when her youngest daughter went to argue, "Elena, Aster's magic is still low as is Iskandar's. Neither of them will be up for doing much if anything for a few more days at least, we will allow them the rest they require. Nothing more, nothing less,"_

_"Yes, mother," Elena pouted a bit._

_Aster spoke feeling a bit guilty about Elena getting into trouble, "We can do some planning tomorrow if you'd like. Not much, but some."_

_"Cool!" Elena grinned brightly, "Thanks, Az,"_

* * *

_Despite the offer to get an automatic pass into any job she wanted in the magical world, Aster chose to take her Newts and go to college in the Mundane world once she managed to catch up to where she should've been. It took awhile before Aster ended up taking art and music classes with a few writing classes on the side. At the prompting of Leona, she added business classes onto her list due to the fact she did own a number of businesses due to the inheritance she'd gotten from her father's side of the family. It wasn't long before she found her niche thus freeing up her time a bit more. She found that she had a knack for painting, playing the flute, singing, and writing stories._

_Until the wedding, Aster spent much of her time either going to her classes, spending time with her friends, planning her wedding, and truly enjoying life without a sword hanging over her neck._

* * *

_Aster looked into Iskandar's warm crimson eyes and felt true happiness as she murmured, "I do."_

_"I do," Iskandar echoed as she place the golden band onto his ring finger as he'd done to her._

_"I love you," Aster murmured against his mouth once they'd been given leave to kiss._

_"And I love you," Iskandar's eyes were bright as she uttered the words for the first time._

* * *

_Aster tossed down the papers with a growl of frustration, "I fucking hate the press. What right do they have to my life? What right do they have to say this bunch of bullshit?"_

_"They're the press," Iskandar huffed at the headline, "They think that anyone famous no longer has a right to privacy,"_

_Aster glared hard at the headline which read:_ _**"Our Savior: In Love or Under a Potion?"** _

_Needless to say, the paper found out quite quickly that Aster Dragos wasn't going to let them walk all over her especially now that she knew that the Potter family owned over half the shares in the Daily Profit. They retracted that statement fairly quick when she threatened to cut their funding completely and destroy what was left with a team of lawyers that Leona had been quick to suggest._

* * *

_"All of them are marriage contracts?" Hermione asked as she caught sight of the rather gigantic stack of envelopes and scrolls sitting on the dinning room table._

_"That pile is," Aster answered as she struggled to quell her growing temper, "The pile of hate mail is in the Floo room currently being fed into the fire by half of the elves. The pile of congratulatory gifts and shit is in one of the sitting rooms being gone through by the other half of the elves. The job offers, other contracts, and everything else is in the study,"_

_Elena tossed another armful of letters onto the table, "Who the hell blabbed? I thought we were keeping it a secret for a little while."_

_"Don't know, but when I find out who, I'll show them why you don't fuck with a witch that has Black blood," Aster had learned those spells during the Blood war without the intention of actually using them, but this was convincing her that she should start breaking those out along with the ones she learned from the Dragos family library._

_"I'll help," Elena glared at the pile, "This is nuts, they know you're married as is my brother,"_

_"Why can we just burn everything?" Aster would love to torch every single piece of parchment._

_"Because you're a Lady and Ladies must send rejection letters," Elena quoted what Leona had told them._

_Aster rolled her eyes, "I'd love to be a normal person then."_

_"Let's get through this damn pile or at least most of it before Isk comes home, I don't know about you, but I'd prefer not to see him turn into a rather angry dragon capable of turning us all into streaks on the wall," Elena deadpanned as she began opening one of the envelops._

_Muttering a few curses under her breath, Aster dove in along with Hermione. It would take days to get through everything even with the three of them working on it since more kept on coming. Sometimes, the black haired witch hated her fame._

* * *

_Almost a year after their marriage, Aster became pregnant though most would consider the timing to be rather bad due to the fact there had been assassination attempts on both her and Iskandar's life. Despite the timing, the family and the two newly weds were both overjoyed at the news. To protect their unborn child, Aster and Iskandar decided to move somewhere safe away from England._

* * *

_"Do you see that, Az?" Iskandar pointed towards a small speck on the horizon as the ship moved smoothly over the waves, "That's going to be our new home, we'll be completely safe there to raise our daughter,"_

_"I still say we're going to have a son, Isk," Aster replied as Iskandar wrapped his arms around her and set his hand on her growing stomach, "I really wish we could have stayed in England with everyone else,"_

_"I know," Iskandar's head settled on her shoulder, "But we've got to protect our kid,"_

_"Still kind of shocked that we're having a kid," Aster murmured as she leaned back against him earning a small purring sound from the man showing that his dragon form was somewhat close to the surface, "I always dreamed of having a family and now that I am, I'm having trouble believing it,"_

_"Well believe it, Mommy," Iskandar nuzzled into her neck, "We're having a baby and we'll be the best parents possible for them,"_

* * *

_Almost seven months later when Aster was due to give birth at any moment, the man that sealed their fates into this tragic mess appeared. Iskandar was fighting him while Aster managed to call for help from their family who were coming for the birth. It was when the man suddenly aimed at Aster after managing to send Iskandar across the room that they realized who the true target was. The man had shot off the curse just as Adrian burst into the house with Leona hot on his tail. As she was too weak to use magic without causing harm to the baby, Aster couldn't call up a shield charm to protector herself. Iskandar managed to shield her from the curse as Adrian slammed the asshole into the ground and died moments later murmuring that he loved her._

* * *

Aster woke with a small jolt as the door opened to reveal Hakuryuu and some soldiers. She stared blankly at Hakuryuu as he walked over to her with the soldiers following him. She felt a small amount of satisfaction as the boy flinched at her blank gaze. He spoke as one of the soldiers lifted her increasingly frail body up, "It's time for you to leave, Aster."


End file.
